---
name: "Ruth McDevitt"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ruth-mcdevitt"
fi1m_id: "ruth-mcdevitt"
imdb_id: "nm0567599"
tmdb_id: 85833
wikidata_id: "Q461627"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "13 September 1895"
died: "27 May 1976"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-26T14:52:40.965759+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ruth McDevitt

## Identity

Ruth McDevitt

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ruth-mcdevitt
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ruth-mcdevitt
- **IMDb ID:** nm0567599
- **TMDB ID:** 85833
- **Wikidata ID:** Q461627
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_McDevitt, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q461627, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0567599/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/85833

Actor. Born 13 September 1895 in Coldwater, Michigan, U.S.. Died 27 May 1976.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 13 September 1895, Coldwater, Michigan, U.S.
- **Died:** 27 May 1976
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_McDevitt, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q461627, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0567599/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/85833

## Streaming the US now

- **Peacock:** [*The Birds*](https://film.one/film/the-birds.md) (86)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Ruth McDevitt (1895–1976) was an American stage, film, radio and television actress. Born Ruth Thane Shoecraft in Coldwater, Michigan, she trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After a period away from acting following her marriage to Patrick McDevitt in 1928, she returned to the stage following his death in 1934 and made her Broadway debut in 1940.

She appeared in numerous Broadway productions and succeeded Josephine Hull in roles including *Arsenic and Old Lace* and *The Solid Gold Cadillac*. Her film credits include *The Parent Trap* (1961) as Miss Inch and *The Birds* (1963) as Mrs. MacGruder. McDevitt was also a familiar face on television, with guest and recurring roles in series such as *The Andy Griffith Show*, *Bewitched*, *I Dream of Jeannie*, *All in the Family* and *Kolchak: The Night Stalker*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *The Birds* (1963), Fi1m 86, as Mrs. MacGruder — [page](https://film.one/film/the-birds.md)

## Complete filmography (70)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Crackle of Death* (1976), as Emily Cowles
- *Demon and the Mummy* (1976), as Miss Emily Cowles
- *One of My Wives Is Missing* (1976), as Mrs. Foster
- *Ellery Queen* (1975), series, Actor
- *Man on the Outside* (1975), as Stella Daniels
- *My Father's House* (1975), as Anna
- *The Abduction of Saint Anne* (1975), as Sister Patrick
- *Mixed Company* (1974), as Miss Bergquist
- *Kolchak: The Night Stalker* (1974), series, as Elderly Woman, Edith Cowels, Emily Cowles
- *Little House on the Prairie* (1974), series, as Maddie Elder
- *Run, Joe, Run* (1974), series, Actor
- *Homebodies* (1974), as Mrs. Loomis
- *Winter Kill* (1974), as Mildred Young
- *Mame* (1974), as Cousin Fan
- *Skyway to Death* (1974), as Aunt Louise
- *The Girl Most Likely To...* (1973), as Housemother
- *Kojak* (1973), series, as Mrs. Farenkrug — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/kojak.md)
- *A Prowler in the Heart* (1973), as Doreen
- *The Couple Takes a Wife* (1972), as Mrs. Flanagan
- *The Streets of San Francisco* (1972), series, as Maude
- *The Rookies* (1972), series, Actor
- *The War Between Men and Women* (1972), as Elderly Woman
- *Emergency!* (1972), series, Actor
- *The New Dick Van Dyke Show* (1971), series, as Mrs. Ferguson
- *In Search of America* (1971), as Grandma Rose
- *All in the Family* (1971), series, as Josephine 'Jo' Nelson, Jo — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/all-in-the-family.md)
- *The New Andy Griffith Show* (1971), series, Actor
- *McCloud* (1970), series, Actor
- *Nanny and the Professor* (1970), series, Actor
- *Change of Habit* (1969), as Lily
- *Love, American Style* (1969), series, as Theresa
- *Medical Center* (1969), series, Actor
- *The Courtship of Eddie's Father* (1969), series, as Miss Bristol
- *The Debbie Reynolds Show* (1969), series, Actor
- *My World and Welcome to It* (1969), series, Actor
- *Room 222* (1969), series, Actor
- *The Love God?* (1969), as Miss Keezy
- *Angel in My Pocket* (1969), as Nadine
- *Here's Lucy* (1968), series, as Mrs. Whitmark
- *Mayberry R.F.D.* (1968), series, as Selma Plunkett
- *The Outsider* (1968), series, Actor
- *The Shakiest Gun in the West* (1968), as Mrs. Olive Heywood
- *Mannix* (1967), series, Actor
- *Pistols 'n' Petticoats* (1967), as Grandma Hanks
- *Ironside* (1967), series, Actor
- *Pistols 'n' Petticoats* (1966), series, as Grandma Effie Hanks
- *That Girl* (1966), series, Actor
- *I Dream of Jeannie* (1965), series, as Mrs. Horlick
- *Dear Heart* (1965), as Miss Tait
- *Bewitched* (1964), series, Actor
- *Love is a Ball* (1963), as Mathilda
- *The Birds* (1963), as Mrs. MacGruder — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-birds.md)
- *The Alfred Hitchcock Hour* (1962), series, as Mrs. Fister, Miss Emmy Wright
- *Boys' Night Out* (1962), as Beulah Partridge
- *Dr. Kildare* (1961), series, as Nurse Adele Fromm
- *The Parent Trap* (1961), as Miss Inch
- *Route 66* (1960), series, Actor
- *The Andy Griffith Show* (1960), series, as Mrs. Pendleton
- *Naked City* (1958), series, as Abbie Dobbins
- *Decoy* (1957), series, as Mrs. Graff
- *Gunsmoke* (1955), series, as Gramma Boggs
- *Mister Peepers* (1952), series, as Mom Peepers
- *The Guy Who Came Back* (1951), as Grandma
- *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, as Jane, Mrs. Wheaton
- *Robert Montgomery Presents* (1950), series, as Mrs. White
- *She Loves Me Not* (1949), as Frances Arbuthnot
- *A Woman to Remember* (1949), series, Actor
- *Suspense* (1949), series, as Mrs. Griffin, Mrs. Barret, Mrs. Waters, Jenny
- *Studio One* (1948), series, as Mrs. Hester, Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Clark
- *The Philco Television Playhouse* (1948), series, Actor

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ruth-mcdevitt